CENTENARY CHARITIES
During the course of St Ninians’ Centenary Year we have been raising funds for two charities, Mary’s Meals and North Ayrshire Girl Guides. Now, at the conclusion of the year, a total of £6,000 has been raised through among other things the Flower Festival in May, and the Summer Fete in June. On Sunday 23rd December cheques of £3,000 were handed to each of the charities. Mrs Sheila Smith received the cheque on behalf of Mary’s Meals and Mrs Kim Main was the representative from North Ayrshire Girl Guides. Also at the same service 31 Backpacks were handed over to Mary’s Meals, these bags having been packed by the Sunday School over the last month with items donated by the Sunday School and members of the congregation. Click here for a Gallery of photos from Christmas 2012.
CHRISTMAS FAIR SATURDAY 1st DECEMBER
St Ninian’s Christmas Fair raised £2,250 and thanks are expressed to everyone who supported the event. The Ayrshire Hospice has been nominated as the charity to receive 25% of the total.
Photos of the Fair are available in the Christmas Fair 2012 Gallery.
AEOLIAN MALE VOICE CHOIR TUESDAY 13th NOVEMBER
The audience were treated to a feast of music when the Aeolian Male Voice Choir from Kilmarnock gave a Concert in the church, with Maureen Smith accompanying them and conducted by Alex Ferguson.
HARVEST FESTIVAL SUNDAY 7th OCTOBER
The Harvest Festival took place in a beautifully decorated church and the congregation joined together in the Hall afterwards for home made bread and home made jam, a reminder that many children still go hungry. During the Service the Sunday School launched their Mary’s Meals Back Pack Project asking the congregation to donate back packs and the many items that go in them, to be sent to children in among other places, Malawi and Liberia. Full information about the packs can be found by clicking on the Mary’s Meals link to the left of this page. There are more photographs from the Harvest Festival in the Gallery.
CENTENARY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND – FRIDAY 14th to SUNDAY 16th SEPTEMBER
The culmination of our Centenary Celebrations took place over the weekend of 14th – 16th September. Bishop Ted, Assistant Bishop of Virginia, preached at three evening services and members from Episcopal churches within the Ayrshire Region, local Clergy from the Troon churches, The Lord Leiutenant of Ayrshire & Arran, Local MP and MSP and local Councillors plus representatives from charties with which St. Ninian’s has had an involvement, were invited to these Services. Bishop Gregor lead the Sunday morning Festal Eucharist on St. Ninian’s Day and Bishop Ted gave a talk to the children.
To view photos of this Celebration Weekend please click here.
CENTENARY SUMMER FETE – SATURDAY 9th JUNE
The Centenary Summer Fete was blessed with good weather and everyone enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of entertainment. The children delighted in the stories from ‘Uncle Billy’ and enjoyed the Bouncy Castle and Simulated Surfboard. There were a variety of games and stalls including a well stocked Plant Stall and Baking Stall. The ladies in the Tearoom were kept busy all afternoon however probably the highlight of the day was rides around the town in a 1926 Vauxhall and an ‘E type’ Jaguar. The afternoon resulted in £600 being raised of the Centenary Charities Mary’s Meals and Ayrshire Girl Guides.
More photos can be viewed in the Centenary Summer Fete Gallery.
CENTENARY FLOWER FESTIVAL 11th – 13th MAY
St Ninian’s held their Centenary Flower Festival from 11th – 13th May. This was a wonderful event and they are most grateful for the help and support from local Flower Clubs and Churches. A total of £2,273 has been raised and this will be shared between Mary’s Meals and Ayrshire Girl Guides.
To see more photographs from the Festival please click on the Flower Festival Gallery.
CONCERT BY GLASGOW CHAMBER CHOIR AND ÖRGRYTE KYRKOKÖR FROM GOTHENBURG
On Sunday 29th April a packed church were given a musical treat by the Glasgow Chamber Choir and the Örgryte choir from our linked Diocese of Gothenburg. It was a wonderful evening of music, much with a Baltic flavour, under the leadership of Michael Bawtree, Musical Director of the Glasgow Chamber Choir and Erland Hilden, Musical Director from Gothenburg.
EASTER AT ST. NINIAN’S
Click on Easter 2012 Gallery to see more images of Easter at St. Ninian’s.
CONCERT BY FEJES QUARTET 18th MARCH
The Fejes Quartet, made up of members of the RSNO, gave a wonderful concert in the Church which featured music by Haydn, Shostakovich and Beethoven.
The Concert is promoted by the St. Ninian’s Church Flower Festival and the beneficiaries of the Festival are Mary’s Meals and Ayrshire Girl Guides. £614 was raised.
LENT LUNCH, SUNDAY 11th MARCH
The congregation joined together for a Lent Lunch and enjoyed a variety of home made soups.
HOMELESS SUNDAY, 29th JANUARY
Sue Parker from SeAscape, a charity in Ayshire that works with homeless people, spoke at the Sung Eucharist on Homelessness Sunday. Afterwards Sue was presented with a cheque for £300. This was the money raised from the Retiring Collections at the Christmas Services. The picture shows Sue Parker from SeAscape, Joe Cassidy who serves on the Scottish Churches Coalition and National Committee for Single Homeless and the Rector, Canon Tom Montgomery.